Mad World
by Moofy-Fan
Summary: When Noah was first placed inside the virtual world, he loved it. His feelings began to change as time passed however, as he becomes aware of the prison disguised in his paradise. Set before virtual world arc


Hello everybody. I know that I need to be working on my other fanfics, but I've encountered a bit of writers block, although I promise an update in both Broken Mirror and Dreams of Yesterday by the end of the week, so please bare with me.

Now, as for this, besides hopefully clearing my writers block, is because I've recently been sucked back into the Yugioh fandom (Due in no small amount to Yugioh, The Abridged \Canceled/ Series) and I just love the Kaiba Brothers. Yes, all three of them. So, here's a little one shot for your viewing pleasure.

Disclaimer- Don't own Yugioh or the song Mad World, whatever version you listen to, I swear there are like, twelve.

* * *

_And I find it kind of funny, _

_I find it kind of sad,_

_The dreams in which I'm dying_

_Are the best I ever had_

_I find it hard to tell you,_

_I find it hard to take,_

_When people run in circles _

_It's a very, very_

_Mad World_

_~Mad World_

_Gary Jules_

When Noah first woke up in the virtual world, he'd been a bit, if not very, confused, but delighted none the less. Delighted because not only had his father managed to save him from the what should have been fatal car crash, but he'd built him a personal dimension for him to stay in until he could get a new body. He had no doubt that his father would be able to do that, he's already done so much, all Noah had to do was wait.

And waiting wasn't going to be hard, either, not with an entire world to explore. It astounded the teal haired child to no end how his brilliant father had been able to create all of the people, animals, buildings, everything, around him. Everything was so real, so lifelike he didn't think he'd mind staying in this virtual dimension at all. The only thing Noah loved better then exploring this world was when his father came to visit it.

For the first few weeks, his father visited every day. He'd talk to Noah, make sure he was keeping up with his lessons even inside the virtual playground, and the child was pleased to find, without the restrains of a physical body, he was even more of a genius then before. When the visits began to slow a bit, once every two or three days, Noah didn't mind. His father was a busy man, after all, and Noah still had the whole world to play in.

* * *

After a month had passes since he was first uploaded, the visits from his father he looked forward to began to slow even more. Once a week, twice if he was lucky. His father still seemed happy to see him when he did come though, so Noah didn't complain. His father had created a digital puppy for him, and Noah figured it was an apology for not being able to be around as much as he would of liked.

He'd always wanted a pet, and had hugged the puppy and thanked his father profusely for it. It licked his face and barked happily, causing Noah to laugh. Just like a real puppy, although the teal haired boy noticed in the back of his mind that he couldn't actually feel his pet's tongue, or the what should have been soft brown fur. He didn't really mind though, his father had tried his best, and once he got him out of this world, he could get a real puppy, just like this one, and feel it then.

Walking though the town with his puppy in tow, Noah would smile to all the virtual people who'd greet him. They were always kind, always happy. They, along with his puppy, made waiting for his father easier.

* * *

Three months since he's been brought into the virtual world, and three weeks since his father's last visit. It worried Noah, what if something had happened to him? He loved his father more then anything, and the thought of something terrible happening to him scared the teal haired boy. His father was strong though, the strongest man in the world, if Noah had any say in it, and so nothing could of hurt him, he couldn't lose, but then why hadn't he come yet?

The last few visit he did have with his father weren't like the ones when he first arrived though. He seemed a bit… angry, or impatient. Yes, impatient was a good word, his father never did have a very good temper. Something must have been bothering him at work, it was the only explanation Noah could think of. Maybe it was the same thing that made him leave for so long. He hoped whatever it was could be resolved soon, he missed his father, it was beginning to get lonely in the giant playground he'd created for him.

The ever happy people of his world were slowly becoming less of a comfort and more of an annoyance. None of them seemed to notice or care that he was worried. Not even his puppy, that would just bark happily at him, like a mindless puppet.

Noah realized for the first time that, no, this world was not perfect.

* * *

A week later, his father finally showed up. Noah was smiling ear to ear almost immediately, any thoughts about the imperfections of this world wiped from his mind. No world could be perfect, after all, but as long as his father was here to keep him company, he didn't care.

His smile was not returned, and Noah's ecstatic look was slowly replaced with one of confusion. Why was he mad now? Wouldn't his father be happy to see him after so long?

The teal haired child was shocked to find that the answer to his question was once again, no. His father hadn't stayed long, hadn't smiled, hadn't even said why he'd been gone for so long, or why he seemed so positively infuriated with his only son.

After his father had left, Noah crawled into his bed. An exact replica of the one he'd left behind in the physical world. He didn't sleep, he couldn't, but that didn't mean he'd no longer wanted the comfort of soft blankets and pillows wrapped around him. Their wasn't any comfort though, he couldn't feel the blankets, they were only digital codes. Just ones and zeros.

His puppy started barking then. Happily. Brainlessly. Noah had already tried and failed to get it to run away, or growl, or be angry, or anything but that programmed joy earlier in the week. Sitting up, Noah glared at the puppy. It was just like the blankets, just like everything, Noah realized. Only ones and zeros.

An idea began to form in the nine year olds head, and he smiled. It wasn't the same as the smile he'd given his father. No, it was far colder. Infiltrating the mainframe of the virtual world, Noah was able to find for and delete his puppy. The second he did it, he saw the brown ball of fake fur wink out of existence before his eyes, just gone.

Smiling even wider, Noah started to laugh, giggle almost. It wasn't like any kind of laugh he would have had only two months ago. It was colder, like his smile. This was his world now, he could manipulate it any way he wanted. When his father came back, he would surely be proud of his son for figuring out that.

* * *

His father never did come back. Not even four months after dumping his son inside a virtual prison disguised as a paradise, he'd gotten bored and left.

Five months after the teal hair child had arrived, and two after his father left, his world was now completely unrecognizable. He would change whatever he'd want simply with a thought and on a whim. If he wanted mountains, he'd make mountains. A lake? No problem. He'd gotten very good at manipulating his surroundings in the short time he'd been alone. After deleting his puppy, he'd gotten rid of the other virtual inhabitants of his world. He didn't need or want their false, programmed joy. They weren't real people, he didn't want them.

Sitting on a stone cliff, Noah watched as two dinosaurs fought each other, boredom written all over his face. Smirking, Noah make the smaller of the two get a grip on the other's throat, biting down, causing blood to splatter and ending the fight. Having them wink out of existence once it was over, like so many other things, Noah couldn't help but chuckle.

His father had never been a religious man, but his mother was. She's been the one to name him, and often told him the fanciful story of a single man and his family able to build a boat large enough to save every single species of animal on the planet. When Noah was little, he'd believed the story whole heartedly and loved it. As he grew older though, he started to lean more towards his father's way of thinking, although the stories of the bible, especially those in the beginning, such as the creation story, Kane and Abel, and The Tower of Babel, still had a way of fascinating him.

He wondered what his mother would think now, if she knew that her son, in a way, had become a god himself. It was the only way he knew how to describe his control of his world. It was stronger and better then any king or dictator could ever dream of. He could do what ever he wanted. Every child's fantasy. Noah found he couldn't smile though.

Once again, he was reminded of the imperfections, and that while he was god, it was of an empty world.

* * *

When he'd first hacked into the security system of his old house, it had been to look for his mother. In the three months that his father had bothered to pay attention to him, he'd never mentioned Noah's mother. He had assumed she'd been fine, his father would tell him if something was wrong. Now four months since his father's last visit, and seven, over half a year, since he's last seen her for himself, he was worried.

Scanning the rooms, he never found his mother, and what he did find though, he wished he hadn't.

Two boys, one around his age, and one much younger, were in a room. Not just any room though, his old room. Training the camera on the two, Noah tried to figure out their purpose there. He couldn't hear anything, the cameras weren't installed with any sort of sound, so all he could do was watch.

The older one, brown hair, the same color as his old puppy's, and dark blue eyes, seemed to be telling the younger something. Noah didn't pay much attention to the small one, his focus instead on the brown haired boy. Why was he here? Children weren't allowed to just be in his father's mansion with no reason. Noah hadn't even been allowed to have friends over when he was still in the physical world, so their presence really made no sense.

When his father entered the room, Noah nearly jumped. Of course, his father would never know he was watching, but it had been the first time Noah had seen him in so long. He still looked angry, and Noah felt that same anger beginning to bubble inside of his as he watched the mysterious brown haired boy follow his father out of the room.

Hopping from camera to camera following the two, Noah suddenly came to a horrible conclusion. His father was teaching his brown haired brat. He'd been replaced.

Switching off his access to the camera, Noah began searching through files, looking for any account of the two strange children in his house. In his room. With his father.

It hadn't taken him very long to find the right documents at all. His father had adopted two boys from a local orphanage, over five months ago. Only two months after Noah had been imprisoned. It said their names were Seto and Mokuba Yumashiga, now Seto and Mokuba Kaiba. Noah growled at the screens in front of him. A tree burst into flames behind him.

* * *

One year after being trapped in his virtual world, Noah still watched Seto and Mokuba through the security cameras. He hated them, especially Seto. That brown haired brat was smart, and determined, and strong. He was the reason his father had abandoned him. He was a genius, he was better then Noah had been when alive, and his father accepted only the best.

He didn't care about the little one. He was weak, and shy and clumsy. It amazed him that his father even let him in the house. It had to of been Seto's doing. That was another reason he hated Seto. He was allowed to have a friend. The closest Noah ever got the a friend was a brainless puppy and equally brainless people. Seto's friend was made of flesh and blood and brains, and Noah's just ones and zeros.

Turning the camera, which had been trained on a sleeping Seto, off, Noah turned instead to look at his prison of a world. Yes, he was a god in this world, but even he couldn't escape. He wondered idly if that was why god made people died, so he could bring them into his world, and stop being lonely.

A thought occurred to the teal haired boy, and he began to smile, the same smile as when he'd killed his puppy. That's what he would do. He would escape his prison and punish those two undeserving brats all in one swoop. Seto may be better then him in the outside world, but in here, Noah was a god. In here, Noah could win.

Laughing, Noah began to work on his plan. It would work, he'd rather of been killed in that car crash then to go through all this and not be able to escape and claim what was rightfully his. He wouldn't fail though, failure was not an option. His father had always told him that. Pulling up a screen, he began to lay out his plan, his cold smile still plastered on his face.

It would work, he would win. All he had to do was wait.

And with an entire world to explore and rule as god, waiting would be easy.

* * *

There you have it. My first ever Yugioh fanfic. Which is a bit strange, seeing as the first fanfics I ever read were for Yugioh, and the only show I've liked longer would have to be digimon, but I never really got into the fan fictions for that.

Well, anyway like it? Hate it? Please tell me what you think. I haven't watched the virtual world arc in so long, so I hope I got Noah's character down right. Overall, I'm pretty proud of this, and hope you enjoy it.


End file.
